Fletcher FU-24 crash, Oct 30, 1996 (1 killed), Dunedoo
Fletcher FU-24 accident on October 30, 1996 near Dunedoo, New South Wales, Australia with 1 fatality. Cause: Collision with a spurline during low-level...
- Date: October 30, 1996
- Aircraft: Fletcher FU-24
- Location: Dunedoo, New South Wales, Australia
- Fatalities: 1
- Phase of flight: En route
- Cause: Collision with a spurline during low-level spraying. Investigators cited the pilot's limited recent experience on the type, a possible medical condition, a hard-to-see wire, and the lack of a wire deflector or cutter, and noted limited rollover protection.
A Fletcher FU-24 agricultural aircraft operated by Pay's Air Service struck a three-wire spurline while spraying a barley crop near Dunedoo. The aircraft hit the wire at right angles, then struck the ground and overturned, killing the pilot. The pilot had limited recent experience on the type and was briefed on the powerlines, but the wire was hard to see against the backdrop of the hills.